How To Start Rebuilding Your Credit Score

Maybe you forgot to pay the minimum balance on your credit card bill once or twice, or fell behind on the utilities one month.

Such missteps may ding your credit, but they won’t sound the alarm–so long as you don’t let them become recurring bad habits.

But those who consistently do things that damage their credit score may plunge into a hole that can take years to dig out of.

The first step to climbing the ladder of recovery is to be financially prudent. Request your free credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com and make sure there are no errors on your credit history.

Then start to curb the harmful behaviors that affect your credit score the most:

Pay your bills on time and don’t overspend on your credit card. One of the best avenues to reclaim a healthy FICO score is to establish good credit through a secured credit card, which has a fixed credit limit and is linked to a savings account. To help you nurse your credit back to health, here are six expert-recommended secured credit cards.